Bleeder attachment for air brakes



March s, 1927. L 1,619,821

LE ROY w. HEFFELFINGER 'Er A BLEEDER ATTACHMENT FORAIR BRAKES` Filed May v21, 1926 49122!! (1 7 l 1. f1 5 @si W@ 14 l da 2z Patented lMar. 8, 1927.

uurrsn STATES PA'rsurorFlcE..

LE ROY W. HEFFELFINGER AND LOUIS J. COURTNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BLEEDER ATTACHMENT FOR AIR BRAKES.

Application filed May 21, 1926. Serial No. 110,685.

This invention relates, generally, to pressure systems, but has particular relation to a bleeder or relief-valve mechanism, or attachment, to be used in connection with air-brake mechanismof the ordinary or any preferred construction, as generally employed in railway equipment, to bleed the auxiliary reservoirs and brake-cylinders at the required or desired time or times to release the brakes previously set Aor applied, by the pressure from said reservoirs and cylinders,

Heretofore, the above named operation of bleeding the said parts, has been accomplished with a great loss of time by the operator, due to the fact, that it has in the structures generally in common use, for such purpose, been necessary for him to hold the valve of each relief-valve or bleed-cock open until the brakes have been fully released.

The principal object of our invention is, to provide a bleed attachment for air-brake ymechanism, which shall be extremely simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient in operation, and so made and with its parts so arranged as to be readily applied to air-brake mechanism of a well known construction, if desired, without materially altering any of the parts thereof.

Another and important object of the invention is, to furnish in an attachment of the kind herein set forth, means whereby the operation of bleeding` the various auxiliaryv reservoirs and brake-cylinders of a train of cars, can be performed from either side of the train and in such a. way, that the act, will require an instant only, for each relief or bleed valve, of the operators time.

A further object is, the provision of means in our invention, whereby the closure or seating of the bleed or relief-valve will be automatically effected in the release movement of the piston of the brake-cylinder.

Various other objects and advantages of our' invention will be disclosed and become obvious from the following` description and explanation, which will be more readily understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which servesto illustrate an embodiment of which the invention is susceptible, it being understood that' changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims forming a part hereof.

In the drawing lig.V 1, is a plan view of a portion of the mam pipe or line, an auxiliaryreservoir, and a brake-cylinder of an airbrake mechanism lfor railway cars, showingour improvements 1n place thereon and in about `the positions they will occupy when the brakes are set.

Fig. 2, is a side view of like parts, showing portions thereof in elevation and Y Fig. 3, is an enlargedl detached plan view of a portion of the bleed valve and the operating lever therefor, the casing of said valve being shown in horizontal section.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawing. Y

Referring now more particularly to Figs. l, and 2, of the drawing, the main or trainpipe which leads from the locomotive (not shown) to an auxiliary valve, is indicated by the reference numeral 4, whichpipe is connected in communication with said auxiliary reservoir by means of a controlling valve 5, which forms no part of our invention, but may be like those found in ordinary air brake construction. rlhe reference numeral 6, designates an auxiliary reservoir supported by the bottom of a car (not shown) in the usual manner and the brake-cylinder is indicated by the numeral 7, and as shown,'directly connected to the auxiliaryreservoir 6, but may be spaced from said reservoirand located more or less remotely therefrom.

Extending from the reservoir 6, through the same, but communicating atone of its section and others in "85 ends with the valve casing 5, and Aat itsA Y izer (not shown) of the brake mechanism. The outer head Vl1, ot said cylinder is provided with an outward extension or neck 12, the bore 13, of which is somewhat larger at its portion adjacent the piston 9, than the sleeve14, which lit-s around that portion ot the piston-rod 10, which operates inthe cylinder 7, and neck 12, for the purpose of the reception and operation of a spring 15, coiled around-:the sleeve 14, yandresting at one of its ends against the Vouter surface of the piston and at itsother end against -a shoulderl, at the outer end of the bore 13, in the neck or extension 12, of the outer cylinder head. By this arrangement, it will befunderstood that that .portion of the yneck 12, between the shoulder ,16,.and the outer end of said neck will providea bearing ior the sleeve' 14, in which thepistonrod l0, is secured in any suitable manner. It will be understood that the inner end of the sleeve 14,.may also be secured atitsinner end tothe piston9, `in any desired way. The outer end ot the sleeve 14h'asimountedthereon a collar `17, and the outerendot the neck'or extension V12, is

surrounded by and has fixed theretoa twopiecewyoke or collar 18, which is provided at itsiupperportion with a forked bracket `19, which:is slightly` off-set rearwardly as shown in Fig. 2, ot the drawing. Between the forks ofitheibracket is fulcrumed a piston lever' 20, theilower portion of whichiis provided with rongs 21, which stride' the sleeve 14, between the collar 17,'on said sleeve and the member 13, on the outer end of the extension 12. Theupper portion oi the piston lever 2t), is provided with an arm y22,hav1ng a weight 23,fthereon and extended vtowards the cylinder'f, as shown-in Fig. 2 of the drawing, in whichviewit will be observed thattheupper portion ofthelever 20, rests upon a wearing plate 24,*adju'stably, secured by means of a longitudinal slot 25, vtherein 'and I a pair of bolts26, seated inthe outer portion of the operating lever 27 forthe bleed valve and extended through said slot, .when the brakes are Aset andthe parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1, and 2, of the drawing.

The-operating lever 27, is, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, of Athe drawing, provided at its outer end with a pair otoutwardly extended prongs 28,'.which spaced from one another andalso from the side edges 'ot the wearing plate 24, thus affording the recesses 29, Vand 30, between said prongsand the outer-most end-otl the wearing plate 24, which plate preferably extendsa slight distanceioutwardly from the lever27, and as before stated is-adjustablysecured in position. The other end of the operatinglever 27, is, byjpret'erence, widened and provided near -its ysaid :widened end .with a `pair of longitudinal slots 31, and 32, for pivots 33,

-provided at one end ofthe-said casing 36, the

other end of said casing, being connected by '.means of a screw threaded nipple 37, with one end of a pipe 38, the other end of which is in communication with the auxiliary reseri voir 6, by means of coupling 39. The nipple 37, which is in screw engagement with one end ofthe pipe 38, is provided with la transversely disposed web 40,`having a central opening for the operation ofthe valve stem 41, of the valve 42, which isfixed on the stem 41," at about its middle, and extends through the valve casing 36, and impinges with one end against the adjacent end of the operating lever 27, as shown at 43, in Fig.' 3, of the drawing. The valve 42, is adaptedto restV on a valve seat 44, surrounding the stem 41, when the brakes are intheir appliedpo- .si-tions. A coiled spring 45, is interposed between the .web 40, ot the nipple 37, and the valve 42, serves-tohold the valvein its closed position as is obvious.

Extended from each side ofthe. operating lever 27, and usually pivotally connected thereto `isian operating rod 46, bythe instrumentality' of which Athe Voperator v@an move the lever 27, from either sidefthereof and inopposite directions as will be presently explained.

-Fixed Von the outer head 11, ofthe .brakecylinder 7, and vextending laterally therefrom to a Vpoint Inear the exhaust pipe 33, or rather the shank ofthe bleed-valve-casing 36, isla bracket 47, which has a'supporting portion 48,101 said shank extendedlongitudinally with the cylinder 7, and with an out turned `flange 49, having .a slot 50, through which the operating lever Vvis extendedand on the floor otwhich it may rest. The operating rods 4G, forthe lever 27, are by preferenceconnected -to said lever between the flange 49, of theibracket 47, and the wearing plate 24, as shownvinthe differentviews ol the drawing.

Thepressure through the main or trainpipe 4, iscontrolled from the cab of the-engine and normally' the 4circuit vis lthrough said line, the valve 5,-auxiliary reservoir 6, and wheat-he brakes are set the engineers valveis oper-atedto, throw the pressure trom the auxiliary reservoir tothe brake-cylinder to operate ithe pistou therein vand thereby applythebrakes, as is well-known.

The operation of our d-evice is simple-.and as follows Assuining that there is the requisite amount of pressure in the reservoir 6, and cylinder 7, to firmly set the brakes, the parts will occupy positions shown in the different views of the drawing, particularly, Figs. l, and 2, thereof. Now, when it is desired to bleed "the reservoir and to release the brakes, vall that is necessary is to move the operating lever 27, by means of one of the rods 46, which may extend from said lever to the sides of the cars or slightly beyond the same, to be laterally taken hold of, so that the lever 27, will fulcrum on one of the pins 83, or 34, for instance on the last named pin, when it is obvious the slot 31, in which the pin 33, is located will permit the lever 27, to pivot onthe pin 34, and te assume such a position as to cause the valve stem 4l, tol be :moved against the tension of the spring 45, which normally actuates it, thus removing the valve 42, from its seat and thereby pern'iitting the escape of air through the small bleed opening 36, see F ig. l, in the valve casing of the bleed valve. When in such position as just above described, it will be understood that the lever 27, will have been moved to such an extent as to permit the upper portion of the lever 20, to pass into the recess 30, by reason ot the gravity exerted by th-e weight 23, on said lever where it will be held without the further attention of the operator. When the pressure within the reservoir and brakecylinder has been su'Hiciently reduced, it is apparent that the spring l5, exerted on the piston 9, will cause the lattter to move in the direction of the reservoir, or toward its head opposite the extension l2, in which operation the collar 17, will strike the prongs 2l, on the lower portion of the lever 20, and cause said lever to be disengaged from the edge of the wearing plate 24, which edge forms one side of the recess 30, in which the lever 20, has just been located. At this time the piston will have reached the limit of its release movement and the spring 45, exerting its tension on the valve 42, vwill through the stem 4l, cause the operating lever 27, to assume its normal position, thus causing the lever20, to assume the positions shownin the drawing. Of course, it will be understood, that by movingthe lever 27, in a direction opposite to that just above described, the said lever will fulcrum on the pivot 33, when the operation of the parts will be the same as above described, except, that the piston lever 20, will be located in the recess 29, afforded by the prong 28, of the lever 27, and the adjacent sid-e edge of the wearing plate.

lVhile our invention is ordinarily positioned horizontally below the car bottom` on which it is employed, with the bleed pipe 3S, and its valve above the reservoir and cylinder, yet it is obvious that said position may be reversed, that is to say, placed in l. In an attachment for air-brakes of thev class described, the combination with a train-pipe, of an auxiliary reservoir and brake-cylinder communicatable therewith, a bleed pipe communicating at' one of its ends with said reservoir and having its other end located adjacent the said cylinder, a valve-casing having a bleed opening and secured to the bleed pipe, a spring-pressed valve within said casing and having a stem extended therefrom, a manually operated valve-lever having two fulcrums whereby it may be operated in opposite directions, said valve-stem contacting` with one end of said valve-lever, and weighted means co-operat ing with said valve lever and extended into the path of travel oi' a movable part carried by said brake-cylinder.

2. In an attachment for air-brales oi:l the class described, the combination with a train-pipe, of an auxiliary reservoir and lbrake-cylinder communicatable therewith, a

bleed pipe communicating at one of its ends with said reservoir and having its other end located adjacent the said cylinder, a valvecasing having a bleed opening and secured to the bleed pipe, a spring-pressed valve within said casing and havinga stem extended therefrom, a manually operated valve-lever having two fulcrums whereby it 'ma' be o )e1-ated in oo' osite directions said l P a valve-stein contacting with one end oi? said valve-lever and a weighted lever co-operating at one of .its ends with said valve-lever and adapted at its other end to be actuated in one direction by the release `movement of the piston of said cylinder.

3. ln an attachment for ai1'.-brales of the lclass described, the combination with a brake-cylinder communicatable therewith, a j

bleed pipe communicating at one end of its ends with said reservoir and having its other end located adjacent the said cylinder, a valve-casing having a bleed opening and .secured to the bleed pipe, a spring-pressed valve within said casing and having a stem extended therefrom, a manually operated valve-lever having two fulcrums whereby it may be operated in opposite directions, said valvestem contacting with one end of said valve-lever, a weighted lever tripplingly cooperating at one end ol its ends with said valve-lever and striding at its other end a movable part by said cylinder and a stop on said movable part.

4. An attachment of the class described,

-" spaced recesses, "a Weighted lever :located comprising `a bleed-pipe having 'a bleedand provided `with a`p0rton rwapens-exvalve, a 'level1 co-operatng with said valve tended into `the pathfoftmvelof a-m0vable fortlle operationthereof'nnd provided-'et part'operated byvtlle-piston-of the brake- 10 its end opposit'e'the valve with a sparlof cylinder. 1

nomally ynear Vone of its ends against fthe v DE VROY W LHEFFELFINGER. valve operating flever between its recesses LOUIS yJ. COURTNEY. 

